UPND has declared President Hakainde Hichilema the winner of the 2026 Presidential Elections
UPND sees encouraging early trends
…as vote counting continues
By DAVID KANDUZA
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) says early voting trends show encouraging signs for President Hakainde Hichilema as ballot counting continues across Zambia.
Mr Haimbe, a member of the UPND National Management Committee, in a press release today August 14, 2026, stated that data from tallying centres suggests a strong performance for the President.
He noted high voter turnout in the Southern, Western and North-Western Provinces, alongside favourable trends in Central Province and gains in Northern Province.
Despite the positive outlook, Mr Haimbe emphasized that these trends were preliminary indications rather than official results.
He stressed that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) holds the sole Constitutional authority to declare the election outcome.
“The UPND has declared nothing and will declare nothing,” Mr Haimbe said, calling on all political parties, candidates and supporters to wait for the official ECZ announcement.
He cautioned the public against unverified claims of victory circulating online, labeling them as baseless assertions that lack data, sources, or methodology.
Mr Haimbe reminded all stakeholders that party agents signed official results forms at polling stations, meaning a transparent legal process exists to tabulate votes and resolve grievances.
Reflecting on the electoral process, Mr Haimbe praised the peaceful, orderly and well-administered nature of the election, which had received commendation from observers across the political spectrum.
He drew a sharp contrast to the 2021 general election, noting improvements in civic freedoms and State conduct.
No shutdowns of media houses occurred during this cycle and the internet remained fully operational on polling day.
Opposition figures faced no arbitrary arrests during campaigns.
Mr Haimbe concluded with an appeal to the nation for patience and restraint, asking citizens to allow the ECZ to complete its Constitutional mandate of collation and verification without external pressure.
STATEMENT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE COUNT
Hon. Mulambo Haimbe, SC, Member of the UPND National Management Committee
Lusaka, 14 August 2026
As the counting of votes continues across the country, the early signs are encouraging for President Hakainde Hichilema. The trends being reported from tallying centres point to a strong result for the President.
Turnout has been high in Southern, Western and North-Western Provinces. The picture in Central Province is favourable, we are seeing gains for the President in Northern Province.
Overall turnout appears to be settling closer to the Zambian norm.
We must be clear. These are early indications, not results. Under our Constitution, only the Electoral Commission of Zambia has the authority to declare the outcome of a presidential election. The UPND has declared nothing and will declare nothing. We will wait for the ECZ, and we call on all parties, candidates and supporters to do the same.
In that spirit, we would caution against the unverified claims of victory now circulating in some quarters. Such claims come with no source, no data and no methodology, and they do Zambia a disservice. Every party had agents at polling stations who signed the official results forms, and the law provides a clear process for tabulation and for the resolution of any grievance. We trust that leaders on all sides share our view that no one should announce results, and that the Commission must be allowed to complete its constitutional mandate of collation, verification and announcement without pressure from any quarter.
Whatever the coming days hold, one thing is already settled. Zambia has delivered a peaceful, orderly and well administered election, praised by observers and acknowledged by figures across the political divide. Campaigning was open on all sides, and where challenges arose they were addressed swiftly. Contrast this with 2021, when the then opposition leader had been arrested repeatedly, media houses were shut down and the internet was switched off on polling day. None of that happened this time. That is a credit to the Zambian people and to our democracy.
We now ask every Zambian to exercise patience and restraint, to respect the conclusion of the democratic process, and to allow the Electoral Commission of Zambia to finish its work.
Hon. Mulambo Haimbe, SC
Member of the National Management Committee, United Party for National Development